Novelty sounding and projectile firing writing instrument



June 10, 1969 A. BARLOW 3,448,541

NOVELTY SOUNDING AND PROJECTILE FIRING WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed Jan 6, 1967 I N V E N TO R GORDON A. EAPL 0W United States Patent 3,448,541 NOVELTY SOUNDING AND PROJECTILE FIRING WRITING INSTRUMENT Gordon A. Barlow, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, Ill., a partnership Filed Jan. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 607,689 Int. Cl. A63h /00 U.S. Cl. 46--175 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a novelty writing pen which has an ordinary writing point and the appearance of a pen, but includes a number of novelty and trick features providing entertainment and fun for a child.

Children, particularly boys, derive much pleasure from games and imagined situations involving secret agents, spies, detectives, investigators and the like. The instruments and devices associated with and used by such persons include camouflaged weapons, i.e., weapons which appear to be ordinary portable objects, such as a camera or brief case, but which can be instantly transformed into a gun or other weapon. Toys which simulate this transformation of an ordinary innocent-appearing object into a weapon or other instrument have much appeal to children.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a transformation toy in the form of a Writing pen. The pen, in its preferred form, is not only a camouflaged gun, but also camouflages a whistle and a launcher for message-carrying projectiles.

A preferred embodiment is shown in the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a side view of my writing pen;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the components of my writing pen, with the barrel broken at approximately its center;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of a message-carrying projectile and,

FIGURE 5 is a cross section of the projectile taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

In the drawings, as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the pen barrel is indicated generally by the numeral and is of the size and configuration of an ordinary ball-point writing pen. The barrel may be made of plastic or other conventional material. At its upper end on the outside of the barrel casing is a spring clip 12 in the usual form for holding the pen securely in a clothes pocket. At the opposite or lower end is a separate writing segment 14 in the 'form of a barrel with a raised portion or rib '16 extending horizontally around the center of the barrel. A conventional ball point 18 for writing extends from one end of the writing barrel 14.

The pen barrel 10 is hollow and tapered at either end. The writing barrel 14 is adapted to fit into an opening in the lower end or bottom of the pen barrel, and may be placed therein by a press fit with the ball point extending outwardly or the ball point extending into the pen barrel. With this construction the user may keep the ball point protected except when the instrument is being used for writing. In FIGURE 1 the ball point 18 is shown extending into the barrel in its protected position. In FIGURE 2 the ball point 18 is shown extending from the pen barrel so that it is in position for writing.

The toy gun feature, which is in the form of a camouflaged percussion cap pistol, will next be described. Within the hollow interior of the pen barrel 10 is a floating anvil or striker plug 20, made of metal. As stated above, the upper end of the pen barrel is tapered and upward movement of the anvil is stopped at the point where the tapering commences. The anvil 20 is shown in FIGURE 1 at the top of its upward movement. Within the pen barrel 10, and below the anvil, is a floating cylinder or sleeve 22, made of plastic, with lengthwise slits 24 in its circular wall. Mounted on one of the panels formed by the slits in the sleeve wall is a knob or stud 26. By reason of the slits in the sleeve wall, the panel on which the stud 26 is mounted provides a resilient support for the stud. The sleeve can thus be squeezed to permit the sleeve and the extending stud to be inserted in the pen barrel 10.

The barrel 10 has a lengthwise slot 28 in its upper portion, with a foot extension 30 at the lower end of the slot. When the sleeve 22 is inserted in the pen barrel '10, the stud 26 is positioned in the slot 28 so that as the sleeve moves lengthwise of the barrel, the stud 26 moves in slot 28. The foot extension 30 of the slot provides a lock to hold the sleeve from axial movement along the pen. The user of the pen can readily move the sleeve lengthwise of the barrel by means of the stud 26 and also rotate the sleeve so that the stud 26 moves into the foot extension 30 to lock the sleeve against further movement.

The end of the sleeve 22 adjacent the top of the pen is covered by a corrugated or ribbed plate 32 which strikes the anvil 20 for the purpose of firing a cap will hereafter be explained. A coil spring 34 is adapted to fit within the sleeve 22. The spring extends from the plate 32 in the top of the sleeve to a base or supporting plate 36 in the lower section of the pen barrel. The spring normally biases the sleeve against the anvil 20 and holds the anvil against the stop formed by the tapered walls of the pen barrel at the top thereof. When the user of the instrument, by means of the stud 26 moves the sleeve 22 downwardly, the spring 34 is placed under compression. When the stud 26 is moved into the foot extension 30, the sleeve is held against the force of the spring and the device is cocked for firing a cap.

The loading of the cap will next be described. In the wall of the pen barrel 10, at the upper end, just below the beginning of the taper in the wall, are two opposing ports or slots 38. Round caps are inserted (one for each firing) through either of these ports. To insert a cap, the user first cocks the gun by placing the stud 26 in the locked position in foot 30. The pen is then turned upside down so that the anvil falls into the upper part of the pen beyond the ports 38. A single cap is then inserted through the port 38 and allowed to rest on the anvil 20. The pen is then turned right side up and the anvil and cap fall into place on the top of the plate 32 on top of the sleeve.

The gun is fired by the release of stud 26 from locked position in foot 30. The spring 34 thereupon rapidly drives the plate 32, the cap and the anvil 20 forward until the anvil strikes the tapered section of the upper pen barrel and is suddenly stopped. This causes the firing of the cap. The corrugations and ribs on plate 32 give a sharper striking action against the cap which facilitates firing.

The child playing with the camouflaged gun can load it in advance and appear to be using an innocent-appearing writing instrument. The instrument can he suddenly transformed into a toy pistol and fired.

The message carrying projectile is shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, and consists of a small cylinder made of light material such as a plastic. The upper end of the pen barrel 10 has a circular opening into the hollow interior. The cylinder 40 shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 may be inserted through this port in the upper part of the pen barrel so that it rests on the anvil 20. When the sleeve and anvil are placed in cocked position with spring 34 in compression, the cylinder 40 is ready for firing as a projectile. Release of stud 26 from its locked position will cause the anvil and sleeve to move rapidly upward and project the cylinder 40 from the barrel. A child playing with the toy can insert messages on small rolls of paper in the cylinder 40 and use the cylinder as a message carrying projectile. The projectile can be loaded and the device cocked in advance and the child again can transform the instrument from an innocent-appearing writing pen to a toy projectile thrower.

Also, the device camouflages a whistle. In the lower section of the barrel is a port 42 with a shelf 44 extending downwardly from the top of the port. The lower edge of this shelf has a knife edge which provides a whistle when air is blown against it. A wall 46 is positioned within the barrel below the port 42. As best seen in FIGURE 3, the wall extends only part way transversely of the barrel and forces air toward the port 42 and the knife edge on shelf 44.

As stated above, the lower end of pen barrel has a port or opening into which writing barrel 14 is normally positioned. When writing barrel 14 is removed, the user of the instrument can blow into the opening at the lower end of the barrel 10, and direct air against shelf 44 and to port 42 to cause a whistling noise. The instrument thus has also a camouflaged whistle which the child can use suddenly and unexpectedly.

Although shown and described with respect to particular structure, it will be apparent that various modification might be made without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim:

'1. A novelty writing pen which camoufiages a toy weapon comprising a first barrel of the size and configuration of the barrel of a writing pen, at least a portion of the interior of said barrel being hollow and at least one end of said barrel having an opening therein, a second smaller barrel having a writing instrument extending from one end thereof, said second barrel being of such size and configuration as to be press-fitted in the opening in one end of the first barrel, and means positioned within said first barrel and operable to simulate a weapon so that said writing pen may be transformed from a writing instrument into a toy weapon.

2. A novelty writing pen as set forth in claim 1, wherein said weapon means comprises a percussion cap firing means within said first barrel and an opening in the side of said barrel for the insertion of a cap.

3. A novelty Writing pen as set forth in claim 1, wherein said weapon means comprises a coil spring and sleeve within the interior of said first barrel, said sleeve and spring being adapted to propel a projectile from said first barrel.

4. A novelty writing pen which camoufiages a toy signal whistle comprising a first barrel of the size and configuration of the barrel of a writing pen, at least a portion of the interior of said barrel being hollow and at least one end of said barrel having an opening therein, a second smaller barrel having a writing instrument extending from one end thereof, said second barrel being of such size and configuration as to be press-fitted in the opening in one end of the first barrel, and a whistle within said first barrel and an opening in the wall of said first barrel for blowing said whistle so that said writing pen may be transformed into a signalling instrument.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,982,734 12/1934 Graves 46-176 2,640,297 6/1953 Adams 46-176 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 46l76 

